Narrative:

Upon touchdown on runway 17 at aurora state, brakes were applied. Shortly following brake application, a pop was heard. The right main landing gear tire had blown out. The aircraft is an L29 delfin, a czechoslovakian jet trainer type. Nosewheel steering is accomplished by using differential braking and this type aircraft uses pneumatic brakes. With a tire blow out, virtually all ability to steer the aircraft is lost, even though I still retained braking authority/authorized over the left main landing gear brake. As a result of the above the aircraft exited the runway to the right between runway lights, none were broken, and continued toward the south end of the runway along the runway margin. Unable to control directionally we were along for the ride. A VASI array was hit destroying it completely. The aircraft was rolling along at approximately 10-15 mph when the VASI strike occurred. The impact was slight but the aircraft came to a stop after swinging around to the right 180 degrees. Part of the VASI system was stuck under the right wing jammed in the gear well. Apart from the VASI lighting being destroyed there was almost no damage to the L29 aircraft apart from a few scrapes and scratches to the paint. There was no injury involved whatsoever. The aircraft was inspected and other than a blown tire there was no structural or system damage noted. The oregon department of transportation sent out an inspector who took pictures and asked a few questions. Also the FAA was notified via the GADO office in hillsborough, or, and a brief narrative was given to them. They indicated that they were not sure if this was even an incident but would be referred to appropriate authority/authorized for further review. I believe the cause may have been a faulty right hand main landing gear brake, grabbing and then not releasing after the first brake application. Light on its wheel from flaps extended also contributed to the brake lock-up.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON LNDG ROLL BRAKE LOCKED, TIRE BLEW, ACFT CTL LOST, LEFT RWY AND HIT VASI LIGHTS.

Narrative: UPON TOUCHDOWN ON RWY 17 AT AURORA STATE, BRAKES WERE APPLIED. SHORTLY FOLLOWING BRAKE APPLICATION, A POP WAS HEARD. THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR TIRE HAD BLOWN OUT. THE ACFT IS AN L29 DELFIN, A CZECHOSLOVAKIAN JET TRAINER TYPE. NOSEWHEEL STEERING IS ACCOMPLISHED BY USING DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING AND THIS TYPE ACFT USES PNEUMATIC BRAKES. WITH A TIRE BLOW OUT, VIRTUALLY ALL ABILITY TO STEER THE ACFT IS LOST, EVEN THOUGH I STILL RETAINED BRAKING AUTH OVER THE L MAIN LNDG GEAR BRAKE. AS A RESULT OF THE ABOVE THE ACFT EXITED THE RWY TO THE R BTWN RWY LIGHTS, NONE WERE BROKEN, AND CONTINUED TOWARD THE S END OF THE RWY ALONG THE RWY MARGIN. UNABLE TO CTL DIRECTIONALLY WE WERE ALONG FOR THE RIDE. A VASI ARRAY WAS HIT DESTROYING IT COMPLETELY. THE ACFT WAS ROLLING ALONG AT APPROX 10-15 MPH WHEN THE VASI STRIKE OCCURRED. THE IMPACT WAS SLIGHT BUT THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP AFTER SWINGING AROUND TO THE R 180 DEGS. PART OF THE VASI SYS WAS STUCK UNDER THE R WING JAMMED IN THE GEAR WELL. APART FROM THE VASI LIGHTING BEING DESTROYED THERE WAS ALMOST NO DAMAGE TO THE L29 ACFT APART FROM A FEW SCRAPES AND SCRATCHES TO THE PAINT. THERE WAS NO INJURY INVOLVED WHATSOEVER. THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED AND OTHER THAN A BLOWN TIRE THERE WAS NO STRUCTURAL OR SYS DAMAGE NOTED. THE OREGON DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION SENT OUT AN INSPECTOR WHO TOOK PICTURES AND ASKED A FEW QUESTIONS. ALSO THE FAA WAS NOTIFIED VIA THE GADO OFFICE IN HILLSBOROUGH, OR, AND A BRIEF NARRATIVE WAS GIVEN TO THEM. THEY INDICATED THAT THEY WERE NOT SURE IF THIS WAS EVEN AN INCIDENT BUT WOULD BE REFERRED TO APPROPRIATE AUTH FOR FURTHER REVIEW. I BELIEVE THE CAUSE MAY HAVE BEEN A FAULTY R HAND MAIN LNDG GEAR BRAKE, GRABBING AND THEN NOT RELEASING AFTER THE FIRST BRAKE APPLICATION. LIGHT ON ITS WHEEL FROM FLAPS EXTENDED ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE BRAKE LOCK-UP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.